Method of and spray for expediting the ripening of fruit



' method into efiect.

Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES HAZELTON S. AVERY, OF SAN JUAN, POBTO RICO.

METHOD OF AND SPRAT' FOB EXPEDITING: THE BIPENINGOF FRUIT.

in Drawing.

This invention relates to a new or improved method of and spray for expediting the ripening of fruit and more particularly citrus fruit;

The primary object of-the present invention is to provide a simple but yet effective method of expediting the ripening of more particularly citrus fruits and this while such fruit is still on the tree.

A .further object of the invention is to provide a suitable spray for carrying the 'A still further object is to provide such a spray which, at the same time, will act as insecticide and fungicide.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the method hereinafter described and in the spray used in the execution or carrying out of such method.

It is Well known that it has long been .the desire of fruit growers to expedite the ripening of fruit in order that a particular crop might be placed on the market at a date earlierthan would otherwise be possible. Many of such methods have been proposed but heretofore all of these have involved the treatment of the fruits after they have been taken from the trees.

After considerable experiment, however,

a solution comprising-an oil emulsion.anda. lime-sulphur compound. W1th or without a mixing agent, such as is frequently used in connection with sprays in fruit culture,

such mixing agent being usually a by-prod- 1 not of milk. I

The spray may be applied to any particular tree in any wellnown manner either once or at intervals depending upon the eon- I dition of the fruit on that tree and upon the results desired, the application of the spray resulting in-the fprlnation of a coatingror film ion the fruit.

rom my experiments it would appear that on the first spraying only certain of the' fruits thereon will be affected, that is to say, onl those which. have reached a certain stage 0 development will show the result of Application filed November 27, 1925. Serial No. 71,752.

such spraying; then on the second spraying other fruits which have then reached that certain stage will respond, whilst those that responded to the first spraying will be advanced further, and so on. By the use of this spray the fruitis quickly brought to a state of maturity and the changed to yellow.

As to the spra' itself this may be made up from any stoc commercial lime and sulphur mixture and an well-known oil emulsion may be employe Or, if preferred, the former may be obtained by boiling together 50 lbs. of ime, 100 lbs. of sulphur and 50 gallons of water in the well-known manner.

green color is As to proportions, the spray which Lem- -water' and of the above-mentioned ingredients being provided accordingly;

I am aware that a lime-sulphur compound as a spray for fruit is old, and also that the use of an oil emulsion for a similar purpose is known, but these have always-been used separately.

My invention consists therefore in the discovery that by using the two of them together, with or without a mixing agent, fruit can be causedto mature very much more rapidly than would otherwise. be-the case, a result that has not been. obtained by the use of either or both of them separately and at intervals, or by any other spray or method whilst the fruit is still on'the tree.

as an insecticide and a fungicide.

VVhat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: p

1. The method of ripening fruit which comprises applying to the fruit just pre- In addition the spray which I employ acts 'vious to maturity, a coating of a mixture inpreviousto maturit a film of a mixture including an oil emu siom and a lime sulphur fruit Ill compound for the purpose of hastening the ripening thereof. T

3. The method of ripening growing fruit which comprises applyingto the fruit justprevious to the time of maturit .a film of a mixture including 'an oil emu ion, a. lime sulphur compound, and-a by-product of milk for the purpose of hastening the ripening thereof.

4. The method of ripening growing fruit which comprises applying to the fruit at desired intervals of time just previous to the time of maturity a film of a mixture including from one to'thirty-five parts of an oil emulsion and from one to seventy-five desired intervals-of time just previous to the 20 time of maturity a film of a mixture including from one to thirty-five parts of an oil emulsion, from one to seventy-five parts of a, lime sulphur compound and about one pound of milk by-product to every hundred 25 gallons of the solution for the purpose of hsistening the ripening of the fruit.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HAZELTON S. AVERY. 

